Clues & Culprits › Hints › Oct 20, 2026 Hard
Spoiler-Free Hints for Oct 20, 2026
Stuck on the Hard case, “The Ambassador's Missing Speech”? Open one nudge at a time. Nothing below reveals a verdict unless you click a box marked spoiler.
Back to the case Rules refresher
About this case
Hours before the ambassador was due to address the summit, her speech — announcing a surprise trade deal — was leaked word for word to a rival delegation, which promptly announced the same deal first. The only copy was locked in the embassy safe.
This Hard case seats 20 suspects on a 4×5 grid. 17 of them carry a clue; the other 3 only have something to say about themselves. 8 of the steps can only be proven by reading two or more clues together.
Nudge 1 — where to start
The case opens with Amir the lobbyist (A1) already proven. Their statement is enough on its own to prove one more suspect straight away — read it word by word, especially the counting words (exactly, neighbors, between).
Felix and I have no criminal neighbors in common.— Amir, lobbyist (A1)
Spoiler: who can I prove first?
Basil (B1) is innocent, proven by Amir’s statement.
Nudge 2 — the opening
Five suspects get proven in this stretch, across rows 1, 2, 3 and 4, most of them in row 4. The statements doing the work are shared-neighbor counts, “between” clues and if–then clues. One step here needs 2 statements read together. Tip: with shared-neighbor counts, only the two to four cards touching both suspects count.
Spoiler: whose statements to read
Idris’s and Pia’s statements, read together.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Mila (A4) — innocent.
Nudge 3 — after about 5 proven suspects
Five suspects get proven in this stretch, in columns B and C. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts, comparisons and row and column counts. 3 steps here need 4 statements read together. Tip: with neighbor counts, a corner has three neighbors, an edge five, the middle eight — compare the count with what is left.
Spoiler: whose statements to read
Idris’s, Pia’s, Mila’s and Raj’s statements, read together.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Felix (B2) — a criminal.
Nudge 4 — after about 10 proven suspects
Four suspects get proven in this stretch, across rows 1, 2, 3 and 5, most of them in row 1. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts, comparisons and odd/even clues. 2 steps here need 3 statements read together. Tip: with comparisons, a comparison can’t end in a tie, so once one side is known the other is forced.
Spoiler: whose statements to read
Pia’s, Felix’s and Kira’s statements, read together.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Cal (C1) — innocent.
Nudge 5 — the endgame
Five suspects get proven in this stretch, in columns C and D. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts, row and column counts and corner and edge counts. 2 steps here need 2 statements read together. Tip: with row and column counts, once the line’s quota is filled, everyone else in it takes the other verdict.
Spoiler: whose statements to read
Cal’s and Leo’s statements, read together.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Theo (D5) — innocent.
The hardest step
The toughest moment needs 4 statements at once. If you’re stuck in the middle of the case, this is probably it.
Spoiler: the statements for the hardest step
Read Idris’s, Pia’s, Mila’s and Raj’s statements together. They settle Felix.
Clue types in this case
shared-neighbor counts ×2, if–then clues ×1, neighbor counts ×5, “between” clues ×1, odd/even clues ×1, “most” clues ×2, row and column counts ×2, comparisons ×1, direction clues ×1 and corner and edge counts ×1.
Questions
How many clues does this case have?
17 of the 20 suspects carry a clue. The rest only talk about themselves — you can hide those asides in Settings.
Where is the full solution?
The step-by-step walkthrough proves every verdict in order.